The present invention relates to a facsimile device, and in particular to a facsimile device applying one-touch dialing operation for effecting automatic transmission by pre-registered destination facsimile numbers.
Some conventional facsimile devices such as the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 63-220662 are capable of automatic transmission directed to a desired destination by a one-touch dialing operation. In those conventional facsimile devices, the one-touch dialing operation is based on pre-registering of a plurality of destination facsimile numbers, each of which corresponds to a certain numerical operation key on the device. Owing to such one-touch dialing operation system, transmitting operation is simplified, and therefore facsimile transmissions can be done effectively, especially in case where frequent transmissions are required.
In a typical system where one-touch dialing operation is executed by operation keys of one-digit numbers, a single facsimile device can register up to 10 destinations for automatic transmission, but no more than that. Therefore, when a number of users are sharing one such facsimile device, only a few destination registrations are allowed to each user, which is inconvenient.
On the other hand, in accordance with the conventional facsimile device as disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 63-220662, in registering a certain destination, a user identification number provided for each user is inputted along with a one-digit dial number before entering the desired destination facsimile number for registration. In registering other destinations, the same procedure is repeated. In this manner, each user can register up to 10 different destinations by assigning the one-touch dial numbers thereto, respectively. Therefore, within a single facsimile device, the number of destinations for registration to which the user can effect automatic transmission by one-touch dialing can be increased.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing structures of destination facsimile number registration management tables in a conventional facsimile device.
In FIG. 1, TB00-TB99 are shown as management tables corresponding to 100 users, respectively. Each management table among tables TB00-TB99 corresponds to an identification number of a particular user, within a counter (unshown). Further, in each management table, 0-9 indicate one-touch dial numbers, each of which corresponds to a destination facsimile number which is being pre-registered.
As the user inputs his/her identification number, a corresponding management table is selected. Then as the user enters a certain one-touch dial number, a corresponding destination facsimile number in the selected management table is outputted. Thus, automatic transmission directed to a desired destination can be executed.
In accordance with the above-described conventional facsimile device, however, automatic transmission by a one-touch dialing operation is limited to one pre-registered facsimile number at a time. Therefore, even when the transmission destination at the other end of the line has facsimile communication means responsive to a plurality of facsimile numbers, automatic transmission to the destination is not possible by other facsimile numbers besides the one being pre-registered and designated through the dial operation.
That is, in the conventional facsimile device, transmission by a one-touch dialing operation is only possible with respect to one destination facsimile number. When the line is busy at this facsimile number, the user facsimile device uses a re-dialing system and re-dials the same destination facsimile number after a predetermined period of time. If the line is still busy at this time, then the same procedure is repeated for several times until the line is disconnected.
Under such conditions, even when the designated destination at the other end of the line has facsimile communication means responsive to a plurality of facsimile numbers, the user can only select one facsimile number in a single one-touch dialing communication. Therefore, even when the destination has other available facsimile numbers, the user facsimile device is not capable of transmission using other facsimile numbers but the one corresponding to the initially designated one-touch dial number.
On the other hand, if it is possible to effect facsimile communication by automatically selecting other available facsimile numbers of the designated destination, then even when the line is busy at the initially dialed facsimile number, faster facsimile transmission can be effected without having to wait for connection after re-dialing or without any compulsory disconnection due to expiration of time. Thus, a facsimile device applying such system would be extremely convenient although no such system has been proposed in the past.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a facsimile device which is capable of executing effective facsimile transmission directed to a desired destination having facsimile transmission means responsive to a plurality of facsimile numbers. The present invention intends to achieve such object by automatically selecting an available destination facsimile number among a plurality of destination facsimile numbers to conduct facsimile transmission, in response to selecting and transmitting of one corresponding one-touch dial number.
In order to serve such purpose, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile device comprising a registration means, a modem means, a facsimile transceiver means, a communication control means, and a main control means. The registration means serves to store a plurality of destination facsimile numbers, each of which corresponds to a certain key among other arbitrary number of keys. The modem means serves to transmit and receive facsimile signals between a remote device in accordance with a facsimile communication procedure. The facsimile transceiver means serves to scan loaded documents to transfer the scanned image information to the modem means, and to print out and output image information which is being transferred from the modem means. The communication control means serves to control closing and opening of a subscriber telephone line. The main control means serves to control the registration means to register thereto and read-out therefrom the destination facsimile numbers. The main control means further serves to perform control operations over the modem means, the communication control means, and the facsimile transceiver means, such that in response to a certain key being pressed at a time of facsimile communication, calling operation directed to a particular destination designated by the pressed key is executed by dialing a plurality of destination facsimile numbers, one at a time, in turn, so that an available destination facsimile number of a facsimile communication means of the designated destination is automatically selected, whereby facsimile communication directed to the designated destination is effected by the selected destination facsimile number.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile device relevant to the facsimile device in the first aspect, wherein the registration means includes regions for storing addresses of blocks, each of which corresponds to a certain key. The registration means is constructed in such a way that each of said regions stores a value indicating a number of registered facsimile numbers of a particular destination corresponding to a certain key, and the registered facsimile numbers themselves.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile device relevant to the facsimile device in the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the modem means is constructed in such a way that at a time of facsimile communication, it serves to execute transmission and reception of control signals between a remote device in accordance with a regulated facsimile communication procedure; detect busy tone signals indicating that the line is busy at a certain destination facsimile number; transmit facsimile image information signals to the destination; and receive facsimile image information signals from a remote device.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile device relevant to the facsimile device in any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the facsimile transceiver means effects bidirectional parallel data transmission between the modem means by digital data, such that at a time of facsimile transmission, image information obtained by scanning the loaded documents is transferred to the modem means; and at a time of facsimile reception, image information is received from the modem means so that it is printed and outputted.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile device relevant to the facsimile device in any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the main control means is constructed in such a way that at a time of one-touch key registration, it controls the registration means to determine a location for a block corresponding to each key in order to store an address of each block in a designated region, and to store in each block a value indicating the number of the registered destination facsimile numbers as well as the registered destination facsimile numbers themselves of a particular destination; while at a time of one of the keys being pressed, it controls the facsimile transceiver means to immediately start scanning loaded documents so as to store the scanned image information, controls the registration means to read out registered destination facsimile numbers in a block designated by the pressed key in turn while also counting them, controls the modem means to call the designated destination by the registered destination facsimile numbers being read out, and controls the communication control means to close the subscriber telephone line and let the image information be transmitted from the facsimile transceiver means; and while at a time of terminating the facsimile communication or detecting busy tone signals from the modem means, it gives instruction to the communication control means to open the subscriber telephone line.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile device relevant to the facsimile device in any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the keys are provided in such a way that upon any one of them being pressed, corresponding information is transmitted to the control means.
On the basis of the structure of the present invention, the registration means serves to store a plurality of destination facsimile numbers, each of which corresponds to a certain key among other arbitrary number of keys; the modem means serves to transmit and receive facsimile signals between a remote device in accordance with a facsimile communication procedure; the facsimile transceiver means serves to scan loaded documents to transfer the scanned image information to the modem means, and to print out and output image information which is being transferred from the modem means; the communication control means serves to control closing and opening of a subscriber telephone line; and the main control means serves to control the registration means to register thereto and read-out therefrom the destination facsimile numbers, the main control means further serving to perform control operations over the modem means, the communication control means, and the facsimile transceiver means, such that in response to a certain key being pressed at a time of facsimile communication, calling operation directed to a particular destination designated by the pressed key is executed by dialing a plurality of destination facsimile numbers, one at a time, in turn, so that an available destination facsimile number of a facsimile communication means of the designated destination is automatically selected, whereby facsimile communication directed to the designated destination is effected by the selected destination facsimile number.
Accordingly, in attempting facsimile communication directed to a certain pre-registered destination responsive to a plurality of facsimile numbers, the facsimile device of the present invention is capable of analyzing the availability of line at each destination facsimile number by calling up the destination facsimile numbers, one at a time, in turn. Then on finding an available facsimile number, the facsimile communication is carried out through this number. Therefore, the present invention is capable of effectively transmitting facsimile documents directed to a designated destination, especially when the designated destination has facsimile communication means responsive to a plurality of facsimile numbers.